Air-brake-tube connection.



v,I..C-fENTII |I`. & A.: DEL GIUDICE. AIR BRAKE TUBE CONNECTION.

APPLIGATION FILED Nov.11. 1912.

1,070,885.v Patented Aug.19,1913.

UNITED sTaTEs 'PATENT orrron..

A PASQUALE GENTILE, 0F NILES, AND ANGELO :DEL GIUDICE, 0F YONGSTOWN,OHIO.

.following is a specification.

Am-BBAKn-TUBE coNNEc'rroN.

` l .Application led November To all whom t may concern v Be it known.'that, we, PASQUALE GENTILE- and ANGELO Der. GrUmcn, citizens of Italy,residing at Niles andv Youngstown, respectively, in the counties ofTrumbulland Mahoning Aand Sta-te ot Ohio, have 4invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Air-Brake-Tube Connections, of which the Dur'invention relates to improvements in air brake tube connections 1n whichair brake tubes attached to one car are coupled with air brake t'ubesattached to another car when trains aremade up; andthe objects of ourimprover'rerts. are,'^rst, to provide hollow connecting hds for the endsof said air brake tubes or hose, which heads will permit -of acontinuous passage of -air through the tubes of` both cars and, whenconnected, will remain coupled until they are intentionally separated;second, to provide means for connecting the air brake tubes of earswhich will not operate' so as to lock or permanently couple themtogether while, cars are being shunted in railway yards or while makingup trains; and, third, to obviate the necessity of entrance between earsby trainmen to unite or disconnect the respective end's of the air braketubesof ad- -ioining carS.`

i' lVe attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- 'Figure 1 is a top view of ourinvention .partly in section; and Figs. 2 and 3 are views ot details.

Similar characters refer tc similar parts throughout the several views.

l and 2 are base plates of any convenient shape or size which we bolt toopposite-,chris of a car. :i and 4 are cylindrical sustaining4 caseshaving annular shoulders 5, rigidly to plates 1 and 2.

G and 6 are tubes, preferablyl metallic, passing through cases 3 and 4,and attached at their inner Aends 7, 7', to the air brake tubes of thetrain. At the outer end ofthe tube 6 we thread on a ring 8f-ii-ving anannular extension 9, with a counter-sunk face 10, embedded in which is agasket- 16 to form an air-tight contactwith the head 15. Between thering and the ,plate 1 we surround the tube 6 with a spiral spring 11,the function of which is to press the tube 6 outward and retain it inair-tight contact with ,the outer 5', attache `Specification oi LettersPatent.' Patented Allg. 19, 1913.

11, mi2. serial no. 'ramera en'dbf airtube 6 of the next car.' On theoutside-'end of-case 3 'we attach, in any manvvider than thediameter ofthe `tube 6 and havin an annular projection 14 produced by 'ma ingthecirc'umference of the unnels inner 'opening somewhat larger than thetube 6 and "smaller-than the interior of the .case 3.' For-convenienceof assembling we extend the tube 6 only'so far as to termi- -nate withinthe caseV 4,-near its outer end, and thread -thereon a collar or ring8', between which and the plate 2 we place a spiral spring 11. Threadedinto the 4ring is an extension 6, of. the tube G', on the extreme outerend of which is removably attached a hollow head 15 positioned tocontact with the face410 at the end of tube 6, to make an air tightconnection of tube (i with tube 6".

T0 hold the air brake tubes G and 6 in extension 6, near its outer end,au exterior ring` 17, shown in Fig. 2, having a plurality of keys 18, 18fulcrumed thereon near their vrniddles, to o'sets 19, 19 and havingtheir outer ends 20, 20 projected outward so as to allow them to lock onthe inner face 'of the protruding .wall of funnel 12, within the lcase@gend having their other ends slightly .beveled outwardly to readilyreceive the tapered end of lock opener 22.

Springs 23, 23 are attached at one end to lthe exterior of tube keys outand. inlocked relation with the funnel 12.

. The lock opener 22 is a tube with a bevv.eled end 24 and sleeved onthe tube exteni sion 6 'so that when itis moved toward the 'i der theouter ends of the keys 18, 1S, raises d them and unlocks their ends 20,2O so that the tube 6 can be withdrawn from the funnel 12 thusdisconnect-ing the air brake tubes.

An arm 25 is pivotally attached to the opener 22 and to a lever 2Gtulcrumed at 2i' to any rigid part of, or attachment to the case 4;, theplate 2 or the car platform. as may be convenient. as attached to aprojection 2t) ot the case 4.

.In practice a smoother movement will be 'ven to the opener 22 if asecond arm 25 1s used on the opposite side ot tube 6,to Lgether with aforked lever 26', instead of v ,extension (3" sothat their other endsserve n.-xtmally hold the',

Vile have illustrated it ner, a guiding funnel 12 with a mouth muchlocked relation we clamp or weld on to tube i ,latters extremity itsbeveled end passes unlever 2G, as shown in Fig. 3, and alsol more safetywlll be assured, since 1n case one arm breaks the other will serve. Thelever 26 is inade long enough so that its handle will extend to orbeyond the outer walls of the car or soit' can be operated by atraininan without going between the cars.

It will be noted that it will be practicable to operate our mechanismand to slide said opener 22 forward or backward, when desirable, as inlong made up trains, by means of cords or other devices attached theretoor toA the respective levers 26, after the manner of the conductors"bell cords in present use,

When it is desirable to shunt cars as in a railroad yard, to push andpull them alternately as in making up a train, the lever 26 may belthrown outwardly as to the rear of the car to which it is attached,-where itniay be temporarily locked by any form of snap catch, springheld peg or dog 30, thus sliding the opener outwardly towardl head 15,sufliciently to hold the beveled ends of keys 18, 18 open and preventthe locking of the air tubes until the lever 26 is released and thrownback to the position shown in Fig. 1.

We claim:

1. The combination of a plurality of air brake tubes, cylindrical casesinclosing the projecting ends of said air brake tubes; a receivingfunnel whose lesser. o ening is smaller than the interior of sai casesrigidly attached to one of said cases; an annular, beveled rigid end onone of said tubes forming a seat; spring controlled means forv extendingsaid tube outwardly, and a gasket in said seat, with a hollow head, tocorrespond with said valve seat7 and attached to the end of the otherof'said air brake tubes;

spring controlled means for extending said 'second tube outwardly; aplurality of spring sustained keys on said second tube to lock with saidfunnel; a tapered cylindrical opener sleeved on said second tube; alever nlovably attached to the car end nearest said second tube, and an.arm connecting said lever with said opener, as shown and described.- v

2. Means for automatically uniting air brake tubes of cars, consistingof casings adapted to be attached to cars, a funnel attached to onecasing, said funnel having an opening smaller in diameter t-han thecasing to which it is attached, a spring controlled tube end incasedbehind said funnel, a like spring controlled tube end incased in part bythe other casing, and a plurality of spring :actuated keys on saidsecond tube to automatically lock within said funnel when said cars arebrought together.

3. Means f for manually disconnecting coupled air brake tubes of carscomprising a funnel shaped receptacle surrounding the end of the airtube on one car; an interior annular face on said funnel; a' pluralityo' spring controlled locking keys positioned about the end' 'of the airtube of the other car; a sleeved Wedge on said second tube end and alever operating said wedge and extending horizontally outward far enoughto be reached Without entrancebetween said cars.

4. In a' device'iofthe kind described, air brake tubes;a-springfcontrolled seat on one air brake tube; a casing inclosing theend an actuating lever and an arm connecting .Said opener and lever.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signa-4 tures in presence of tWowitnesses.

I/Vitnesses:

G. H. Piuma, H'. HAROLD.

Copies o! this patent may b'e obtained for ve--cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. i

